Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). This is essential for achieving that golden brown puff pastry.

Prepare the Puff Pastry

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry to smooth it out — this ensures even baking. Cut the pastry into 2-inch squares. Carefully press each square into the cups of a mini muffin tin (or line the tin with paper liners if you prefer).

Make the Filling

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup (or maple syrup), melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if you’re using it) until smooth. Last but not least, stir in the chopped pecans until evenly combined.

Fill the Pastry Cups

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pecan filling into each pastry cup, being careful not to overfill (the filling will puff up slightly while baking).

Bake

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the filling appears set and the puff pastry is a beautiful golden brown. The smell wafting through your kitchen will have everyone in a frenzy!

Cool and Serve

Allow the pecan pie bites to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Whether served warm or at room temperature, these bites are sure to disappear fast!